Agriculture development, food security and nutrition A/RES/72/238 development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty, and in this regard stresses the importance of reviewing agricultural policies and strategies to ensure that the critical role of women in food security and nutrition is recognized and addressed as an integral part of both short- and long-term responses to food insecurity, malnutrition, potential excessive price volatility and food crises in developing countries; 18. Reaffirms the crucial role of healthy marine ecosystems, sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture in enhancing food security and access to safe, sufficient and nutritious food and in providing for the livelihoods of millions of people, particularly inhabitants of small island developing States, and in this regard encourages the full implementation of the Global Action Programme on Food Security and Nutrition in Small Island Developing States, which was launched on 4 July 2017; 19. Encourages and recognizes the efforts at all levels to establish and strengthen social protection measures and programmes, including national safety nets and protection programmes for the needy and vulnerable, such as food and cash-forwork, cash transfer and voucher programmes, school feeding programmes and mother-and-child nutrition programmes, and in this regard underlines the importance of increasing investment, capacity-building and systems development; 20. Calls for closing the gender gap in access to productive resources in agriculture, noting with concern that the gender gap persists with respect to many assets, inputs and services, and stresses the need to invest in and strengthen efforts to empower women, in particular rural women, to address their own food and nutritional needs and those of their families, to promote adequate standards of living for them, as well as decent conditions of work, and to guarantee their personal health, well being and security, full access to land and natural resources and access to local, regional and global markets; 21. Remains deeply concerned about the recurring food insecurity and malnutrition in different regions of the world and their ongoing negative impact on health and nutrition, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia, and in this regard underlines the urgent need for joint efforts at all levels to respond to the situation in a coherent and effective manner; 22. Recognizes the important role of indigenous peoples and local communities, small-scale farmers, livestock farmers, small-scale fishers and fish workers and their traditional knowledge and seed supply systems, as well the important role of new technologies in the conservation of bi odiversity and in aiming to ensure food security and improved nutrition; 23. Stresses the importance of the application of science, technology and innovation and related knowledge management and communications systems in ensuring food security by 2030, and encourages the adoption of the most advanced and appropriate information technology, such as the Internet, mobile platforms, meteorology, big data and cloud computing, in agriculture systems in order to support the efforts of smallholder and family far mers to increase their resilience, productivity and incomes and include them in the development of research and innovation agendas; 24. Emphasizes the need to revitalize the agriculture sector, promote rural development and aim for ensuring food security and nutrition, notably in developing countries, in a sustainable manner, which will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and underlines the importance of taking the necessary actions to better address the needs of rural communities by, inter alia, enhancing access for agricultural producers, in particular small producers, women, youth, indigenous 17-23316 9/11